The painter could at least take comfort in the fact that photos don’t look like paintings.

In this post, I aim to show how a few of the photos from the last post can be made into painting-like offerings. Well, I’m not showing how; I’m just showing the end result.

The actual process involves the layered use of Topaz’s Impression 2 Plugin. By layered, I mean I run a photo through the plugin and then take the results and run them again and then layer the two files, blending them into something new and then running the result through the plugin, and so on.

I could use the canned Van Gogh filter, or the Cezanne, or Renoir, or the various watercolor, crayons, pencil, oils, and other filters. But, that’s just duplicating what someone has already done. I aim to go beyond.

I’ll show the final results but if someone wants to see the originals they will have to visit the previous post.

By the way, this morning I turned on the radio in the car. I rarely do that, preferring instead to listen to my own choice of music. This song came on, and it’s now in my head. Perhaps I can put it in yours, as well.

Now, I’m not a Deadhead. However, a friend and business partner is (was? . . . I imagine once a Deadhead, always a deadhead), so not only did I recognize the song, but I also know all the words. Listen to them (the words); very interesting.

Anyway, paintings . . .

There is no one style to identify this. It’s a combination of artistic styles blended and reblended until I came up with something that I liked. I could not duplicate this if I tried because we’re talking something like ten to fifteen steps using a number of presets on copies of the same file and then blending them into something I can use here.

By the way No. 2, this will be an uncharacteristically short post . . . so I should point you to posts from times gone by who do qualify as long posts. THIS one is about photography, and it covers material from a number of posts.

This next photo was processed, layered, reprocessed, duplicated, mixed, beat with a stick, chewed by virgin squaws, and stomped by truant school children. It’s close to what I envisioned, but not quite there. I had to eventually call it and save what I had so I could move onto the next photo.

I should clarify . . . it’s not that I envision a final product. It’s that as I work with a file, I start to see hints of what I would like and try to push the processing to that end. Sometimes I get there, sometimes not. I’m not unhappy with the above, but I get the feeling there should have been a bit more . . . or, a bit less . . . or, something different.

Speaking of marathon posts, THIS is probably one of my longest posts, if not the longest. I only know a few readers who actually read it from beginning to end and not just skimmed it — hardy folks them.

Perhaps a few will recognize elements of some of the masters in this next “painting”.

Odd this, but I like some of the details more than the aggregate. Mind you, I do like it or it would not be here.

The number of people who ask for my opinion has, over the years, dwindled down to less than one (1). That, of course, does not stop me from expressing said opinions. A willing reader can find lots of words strewn hither and fro on this blog all detailing what I think about various subjects. For a while, I even ran a series of posts titled Sunday With My Thoughts. There, one might find my opinions on all manner of things. I predict that link will get even fewer clicks than my links usually get. Interesting that; I’ve never seen negative clicks before.

This next one might not show up as being modified unless one clicks on it to open a larger version in a separate tab or window.

The smaller the picture, the more it looks like an unmodified version of the original. That means that people reading this on their phones will see no difference between it and the original photo.

Similarly with this next photo . . .

Not so this next one as I blended the negative of the original with a number of modifications. Not sure if I like it like it, but it’s interesting enough to include here.

As I sit here writing (9:52pm) in our rented condominium, I ponder the repeated assurances this was a “quiet” complex. I ponder it because I hear people from next door, from a few doors down, from a few floors below is, and from the neighboring complexes.

I know most things in life are subjective, but this, so far, has not been a “quiet” complex. That is one of the hesitations we have when it comes to considering buying a condominium as opposed to a house. It has been my consistent experience that proximity to other people is inversely proportional to my tolerance of same. That was true when we owned a house, but with houses, there is a physical limit to the number of neighbors one gets to experience.

Funny thing . . . we bought our first house in 1983; between then and now, I’ve never had even one instance where a neighbor would have had cause to complain about loud music, parties, unruly kids, loud dogs, unkept yards, carelessly parked cars, unnecessarily loud motorcycles or cars . . . I could go on, but I think I made my point.

The above is actually heavily processed, but the end result is actually close to what the original looked like. I guess I could not improve on Nature . . . at least, not in this case.

The next two photos are the same six processed copies of the original blended differently to produce different results.

I’m approaching a thousand followers thanks to a slew of recent subscribers. Before you, dear readers, are tempted to offer me congratulations, know that the entirety of new followers are people who have the following things in common:

They “liked” exactly one post.

Upon liking the post, they immediately subscribed.

Each new subscriber sells either a product or a service.

Somehow, I get the feeling they are less enthused with my blog and more hoping I will follow them back or at least check out their offerings. Sorry folks; no can do. You would have to not only “like” but also comment on this blog. And, not just once, but multiple times. Then, you would have to have a blog that interests me. Then, after a read a number of posts, I might consider following . . . but it’s not a sure thing. It’s just the way it is with me; you see, I’m a jerk.

For the above, I was trying to keep it recognizable while pushing the colors. I had a version where the colors of the flower actually shifted into the azure. It looked neat but unrealistic.

So, before I post the last photo, I should mention to all my new subscribers that although it might not be evident from my recent posts, I also write . . . although, I’m currently waiting for my Muse, Berto, to join me from the Mainland. He might be dead, drowned as he tried swimming from California to Hawai’i, but I’m hoping not.

HERE is a summary of my 2015 efforts. From there, if interested, one can check some of my works. Some are behind password protected posts (them I be trying to publish) but much of my stuff is available for anyone to read. Yes, yes, I know . . . no one is going to click on the link and let alone read any of my stuff but on the off chance someone stumbles onto here and is actually interested, that link is for them.

And now, the final photo . . . er, pseudo-painting. I told you it was a short post.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

Edited to Add: I’ve added the full-size versions to the gallery of the original photos HERE. Not sure how useful it is to view them in full resolution because they have been processed so much, but for them who would like to see that, there you go.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o o o o o o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Not doing well.

Astute persons might have noticed these doodles, and correctly surmised they hold some significance for me, and perhaps for humanity at large.

Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website. Could be they also torture small mammals.

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Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so. I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards. I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way. That would mean something to me.

20 Responses to Painting, the easy way

Nice images. I too use Impressions, though v2 is causing me some grief. I agree, while it’s instant gratification to just click, there’s more creativity in tweaking and reprocessing to create something altogether new.

I like a lot of your “creations,” and have been thinking of playing with Lightroom, and Topaz for a while – and for number of reasons One is many of your “paintings;” and work done occasionally by a woman in Cleveland, found at “Faboulous Fifties” https://travelspirit333.com/tag/topaz/
I could see some of my blah images, converted into painting masterpieces, hanging on my wall. (in my computer corner of course! – maybe even in the house somewhere!) An incentive is my unfortunate situation of having virtually all my images on Aperture, now un-supported. The likely course will be converting over to Lightroom
Nice post as usual. M :-)

I’m pretty sure you don’t need Lightroom to run the plugins . . . If you buy PhotoFX Lab you can run the plugins independent of other software (but, for the price, you might as well buy Lightroom).

Also, their newer plugins also run as stand-alone.

By the way, if you wait for their sales, you can get the whole package at half price. If you already own a few of the plugins, you get a prorated upgrade price for the whole package. The good thing about Topaz is free upgrades to all their existing plugins.

As I mentioned above, if you wait for their sales, you can get the whole package at half price. If you already own a few of the plugins, you get a prorated upgrade price for the whole package. The good thing about Topaz is free upgrades to all their existing plugins.

Some of the flowers in your pictures have interesting textures, after you have played with the different treatments of the original picture……looks like you had some fun with that.

Sorry about the noise….not much you can do about it , I suppose, unless you want to go to the expense of putting sound attenuation materials in the walls and ceilings, unfortunately….but I hope it won’t spoil your enjoyment of day-to-day life in Hawaii. Hoping for the best…..

Thanks, and I’m only renting here; have no plans to make any improvements (and it could use a few).

As far as people spoiling my enjoyment, it’s been a constant thing now for the past 50+ years . . . not that I’m getting used to it, but I manage to suppress my murderous impulses with less effort than when I was younger.

Love your creative art-flower photos, Emilio! Stunning! They looking pastel-y, watercolor-y, oil-y! They are frameable and hangable! :-)
Thanks for putting Ripple in my head! Now I can’t get it out! ;-)
I once saw a car in San Fransisco (pre-cell phone days) that was covered with a Grateful Dead mural. It was rad! Got the old photo somewhere in a box.
I’m sure Berto is still on vacation with Bertha and he will join you soon. At least I hope so! :-)
We had neighbors once who hired a live band for their family birthday parties…one time the band was still playing at 2 a.m., so several of the other neighbors complained. Oh, the same family, also, had a rooster who crowed all day and night. :o
HUGS!!! :-)

Thank you very much. And, you are welcome. And, Berto better not show up with some chick in tow; he has one job and he best not be distracted while doing it. Finally, we had neighbors everywhere we have lived . . . ’nuff said

Since I always try to read your posts in order, on the last one you have the link to the SmugMug gallery that also includes these artsy photo, so I commented on them previously. But it’s worth repeating that they’re exceedingly inspiring. Even more so since many of the flowers are new to my eyes.